


The Exile's Tale

by shinwa_kurai



Category: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:49:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinwa_kurai/pseuds/shinwa_kurai
Summary: This prologue was written a long time ago, back in 2013, but I will be updating the rest of this story as time and creativity allow.There are some non-canon, to the games, aspects but I hope my changes make sense and don't turn anyone off of my work.
Relationships: Female Jedi Exile/Atton "Jaq" Rand
Kudos: 2





	The Exile's Tale

**Author's Note:**

> This prologue was written a long time ago, back in 2013, but I will be updating the rest of this story as time and creativity allow.
> 
> There are some non-canon, to the games, aspects but I hope my changes make sense and don't turn anyone off of my work.

_The bridge of the ship was full of an anxious tension… Everyone was waiting, there was one last order left to be given. A small young woman wearing deep green robes stood before the main windows, her eyes watching the distant battle, the trap, waiting for the moment to come. She was afraid. Of course she was, no one was entirely certain how the Mass Shadow Generator would work, they knew what they wanted it to do, but gravity has its own reactions. A tall Zabrek stood at her right shoulder.  
_

_“General?” His voice was soft, as if hesitant to ask her thoughts.  
_

_She didn’t turn to him, but deep green eyes flicked over to glance at him before moving back to the distant battle. They closed slowly and her head nodded once, it was time…_

* * *

Meetra woke with an agonized scream struggling to tear its way out of her body.

“Ah, so you are still alive. Glad to know.” A deep voice said from nearby.

Startled Meetra tried to react quickly, to shove herself up from her prone position and get ready to fight this unknown person, all she managed to do was send a wave of agonizing pain and nausea through her body.

“Hey, hey…stop, ease down woman, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a friend. I found you out in the wilds sick and injured I brought you back home to treat you. I’m Jasper Fett, you’re in my home, my farm, on Concord Dawn. You’ve been unconscious since before I found you three days ago. I don’t know how you got hurt nor do I care, the fact that you were still alive is frankly astounding, I’ve not seen someone survive what happened to you in a long time. You’ve got guts girl.”

Fett, Concord Dawn… She was in Mandalorian territory, that’s right, she’d come here seeking a fitting death, ten years of living alone never speaking to others… she’d lost everything in the one fateful moment when she gave the order to end the Mandalorian Wars by using the Mass Shadow Generator… But she was still alive. Not expected.

“Can you understand me?” The voice, Jasper asked, concern in his tone. His Basic was accented as many Mandalorians could be, but he wasn’t unintelligible.

“I can understand you.” Meetra answered, her voice harsh from lack of use.

“Ah, good. You have a name? Calling you ‘girl’ ain’t exactly polite.”

“Mella. I’m Mella.” She answered, giving the name she’d adopted after the end of the Wars, when she’d been exiled from the Jedi for having followed Revan to war against the Council’s judgment.

“Mella, nice name. Like I said I’m Jasper. Welcome to my home. Can I do anything for you? Get you anything? How do you feel?”

“I…” She paused not sure what to answer first, she’d not spoken to anyone since she’d gone to face the wrath of the Jedi Council, “I am okay… I do not need anything.”

“Here, you should at least eat something.” A pair of dark tanned hands entered her field of view and she jumped slightly, “Sorry, sorry, I thought you heard me moving around.”

Meetra turned and glanced at her rescuer, he was young, too young to have been a part of the war that haunted her every breath, but he was Mandalorian, he was born, bred, and trained for battle. He was a farmer, so he’d said, but most Fetts were. He had black hair, short, but not a military cut like most Mandalorian men, and honey brown eyes, and a pleasant smile.

“I’m sorry. I’ve grown used to being alone.” Meetra explained weakly, and reached to take the bowl he still held.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

“I’ve had tiinglar before.” Meetra said softly as she took a small bite of the blisteringly spicy food. It was a bit of a test she was sure.

The casserole was so instantly familiar that she felt her eyes water with memories of her childhood and everything that had happened to take her so far away from the life she may have had, and now the life that had been thrust upon her by unforeseen measures had also been stolen, by one hideous mistake.

Jasper mistook the tears in her eyes for those of pain brought on by the food, “Here, if that’s too strong for you I can make you something gentler on the tongue. Most people can’t eat my tiinglar.”

Meetra shook her head and took another bite, “It’s good, perfect. I was just thinking…remembering things better left in the past where they can collect dust and maybe one day be forgotten.”

“You want to talk?” He asked moving a chair to sit close to the cot where she still lay.

Meetra shook her head and ate another small bite of the food, talking was not something she wanted.

Jasper shrugged, “How’d you survive that crash I found you at?”

“Crash?” Meetra asked softly.

“I found you just beyond the wreckage of some old shuttle. It wasn’t even fit for salvage.” He explained.

Meetra thought back, she remembered deciding to travel into the Mandalore Sector, to get to Ordo, and there to loose herself in the deserts and hopefully find a fitting death for the woman who was already dead, her body was just unaware of the death that had been growing within her all these years since the end of the Wars. But she couldn’t remember crashing.

“I was trying to get to Ordo…” She said simply, with a slight shrug, and kept eating.

Jasper smirked and respected that she either wouldn’t, or couldn’t answer the question he’d actually asked her, “You’re more than welcome to stay here until you’re on the mend. It’s just me out here, but there’s a village not an hour’s march from here, it’s got a spaceport if you want to try and find your way to Ordo when you’ve recovered.”

He’d been shocked when he found a survivor of the crash he’d heard of after coming back from a trip to Mandalore to see if he could learn anything more about what had happened in the last days of the Mandalorian Wars, he knew there was more than what he’d heard and he wanted the answers, but no one was talking these days. He’d been even more shocked when he rolled her over and saw that while she was unconscious, severely broken and probably ill, she was by far the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was on the short side, only five foot six, if he’d guessed right, and thin but she had wonderful curves and slightly alien features, harsh angles to her face and pale skin and hair. Now that she finally opened her eyes he found himself drawn into their dark green depths, they reminded him of the deep shadows of the jungles. He was also drawn to her reluctance to speak to him, how she even avoided looking at him for long, there was something intriguing about this woman, something that he’d never felt with anyone else.

Meetra glanced at her host while he was musing to himself, her eyes still downcast, his thoughts were written on his face, he thought of her as something he wanted to possess and she was no man’s. She wasn’t even her own person any longer. She’s given up, and it was time to finally seek the death she’d been denied at Malachor.

The next few days were spent in mostly solitude, which Meetra found comfortable, Jasper worked long hours to keep his farm running, and when he came back in the evenings to eat, he’d help her move to the table to eat then help her back to the cot to rest again. She was mending at a rate he found extraordinary, but she found it painfully slow, she still remembered the days when she could have been fully recovered from her wounds if she’d been able to get one of the Jedi healers to work on her. In the evenings before they would fall asleep, Jasper would tell her stories, things he remembered of his family, the things they had done or been said to have done in the Wars, and also he shared news of what was going on in the galaxy. He told her of the rumors about the Jedi Civil War, and about how Revan had returned from the Mandalorian Wars as a Sith and had later been redeemed and saved the galaxy from Malak. Meetra thought he was pulling her leg with these stories, but she didn’t say anything. Revan was too good, too strong, she’d have never succumbed to the Dark Side…

It had been a little over a week since she’d woken in Jasper’s home, she was starting to be able to move unassisted, it was slow and painful, but she could get up and help around the house when he was out working. As a bachelor, he was less tidy than a married man would be, but he was still very clean, he’d leave tools and clothes that needed mending out but everything else was carefully put away after use. Though he did have a habit of leaving his dishes longer than she felt was really necessary. She started cleaning little things, it was relaxing for her, it kept her from thinking about the past. He never remarked on what she was doing, he just smiled when he noticed something fixed or cleaned that he hadn’t done. She liked seeing his smile, it was warm, reminded her a little of her Father's from a long time ago. 

She had a set back after several days of almost normal health and Jasper made her promise to remain in the cot and rest, she was pushing herself he said. He went into the village and got medicines he thought would help, he wanted to ask her about her past. In her sleep she said little things, things that led him to believe she was hiding something important, something big. But he also wanted her to be comfortable with him, to want to stay longer. He was finding himself growing to enjoy her presence in his life.

She was sleeping when he returned, and he moved around the room quietly. He brewed a pot of shieg and started to make a meal for when she woke. As he was working, he heard her strangled scream again and he turned, she was sitting up in the bed, her eyes wide with fear and her skin paler than normal.

He moved over to kneel beside the cot, “Mella?”

She glanced at him her body shaking with fear, he reached to touch her arm and she flinched, “Please don’t.” She whispered.

He nodded and grabbed one of the chairs from the table and sat down nearby but far enough away that she knew he’d not reach for her again, “You should talk about these things that are haunting your sleep. It’s not healthy to keep whatever hunts your dreams bottled up inside of you.” He said hoping that she’d finally open up and tell him the full story.

Something about this earnest concern spoke to a part of her that she’d tried to forget, a part of her that yearned for the companionship of others. In all her life Meetra had never been alone, not really truly alone. She’d had her mother in her childhood until the day she was kidnapped. Then the mercenaries were her companionship on the trip to Nar Shaddaa, poor though they may have been for companionship. After that she’d been a member of the Jedi, one was never alone when you were in the Order. After the war, after Malachor she’d severed her connection to everyone, and everything and wandered in her exile truly alone. Ten years she’d spent trying to loose herself in the Outer Rim, ten years where she never spoke to another living soul unless it was in some far flung place where she stopped to resupply and then she only spoke to get what she needed, nothing more. She wasn’t sure she should tell this man anything about herself. But she found herself telling him nevertheless. She told him everything, starting with her decision to join Revan in the Mandalorian Wars, the rest of her past was a closely guarded secret that only she really knew. 

As she spoke she noticed Jasper drawing away, his chair slowly shifting to be farther and farther from her, his eyes grew cold and angry.

“Jetti get out.” He snarled softly.

She sighed and stood slowly, still feeling weak and ill, “Of course.” She said softly, “Before I go there is one last thing I wish to tell you. I lied when I gave my name before… I am not Mella that was my mother’s name. I am Meetra -”

“Meetra Surik!” He hissed as he grabbed her roughly his hands painfully strong around her neck as he drove them both to the ground, “Murderer!!”

She didn’t fight back, it was true, she was.

He saw the complete disregard for her own life in her eyes, she was going to let him kill her, she wanted to die. She was repulsive… this cowardly woman had murdered his parents and brothers at Malachor, and she was just going to let him kill her because she was tired of living.

He released her and stood over her shaking with anger, “Get out of here murderer. Never return to Concord Dawn. I never want to hear your name again.” He spat at her as she slowly reached to touch her bruising throat.

She nodded once and slowly started to get up, careful to keep her movements from looking at all threatening.

“There’s a Republic ship docked here for repairs. I suggest you get on it.” He snarled as she made her way to the door of his home.

“Thank you.” She said hoarsely, “And for what it is worth, I am sorry.”

The door closed behind her and he collapsed into his chair, his head in his hands as he shook with anger and remembered grief.

Meetra struggled to make her way into the nearby village, she was still healing after all, but after a few hours she made it. She didn't want to board any Republic ship, but she also feared to make her presence known to the others in the area in case Jasper had contacted anyone and told them who she really was. However she needed to move on again, maybe going back into Republic space was what she needed now. Maybe she could find Revan and try and gather up the scattered pieces of herself and put them back together.

She made her way up to one of the officers standing back and observing the repairs to the shuttle, "Excuse me, would it be possible to secure passage on your shuttle and its berth to wherever you are going?"

The young Lieutenant turned to see who was addressing him, "We can only take on Republic citizens."

Meetra grimaced internally at his condescending tone, "I am a citizen."

"Ha!" He snorted, "You-"

"General Meetra Surik." She said quietly.

The young man frowned, that name sounded familiar to him but he couldn't figure out why.

"Murderer! War Criminal!" There came shouts of anger and hate behind them in Mandoa.

"What are they shouting about?" He asked.

"They're calling me out for my past. I gave the order that ended the Mandalorian War."

The Lieutenant's eyes widened in shock, "Get on the shuttle." He snapped before turning to the crowd gathering, "The Republic will be taking this woman for trial for her past deeds. She will be gone from your planet as soon our shuttle repairs are completed. We will ensure that she steps no foot back on the ground here." He called out as Meetra climbed up the ramp into the ship.

She heard the continued shouts and curses, protests to get her back out to face their own justice, but the young officer wouldn't back down, she was going back to face her fate in the Republic courts.


End file.
